British Author Ian McEwan's "NUTSHELL" is an Embryo's Analytical Outlook on Life

Ian McEwan (b. UK 1948) is one of the most celebrated and contemporary creative writers.  He's been nominated for the Man Booker 6 times, winning it for "Amsterdam" ('98) & received the Sommerset Maugham Award for his short story collection "First Love, Last Rites" ('75.)  His prolific body of works vary greatly in style & substance from one to the next.  This novel has a newbie hero who is quite an intellectual,  He has a sardonic wit & sagacious insights into the world to which he has yet to enter.  And yet, he's capable of perceiving the world that envelops his mother from her womb.  He tells us "The womb, or this womb, isn't such a bad place."  But, something is rotten in the state of Denmark.  The nameless, unborn reminds me of Stewie from the TV sitcom "Family Guy."  A precocious pipsqueak who converses to us from mom's uterus.  He loves his mom & shares her taste for fine wine.  He's biding time by talking to himself & to the reader.  "I want my life first, my due, my infinitesimal slice of endless time." A "Hamlet" storyline is revealed; the mother & uncle plotting to kill his corporeal father.  This causes quite a ruckus & numerous rebellious kicks to his mother.  "Don't let your incestuous uncle & mother poison your father.  Don't waste your precious days idle and inverted.  Get born & act!"  At first, I was cynical of McEwan's clever contrivance "Nutshell."  At inception, I thought the gimmick a fickle trick.  But I grew to love the "Stewie" fetus, the fiendish Hamlet plot and found myself reading with mounting anticipation.  To thine own self be true… I say to you, McEwan hit "Nutshell" out of the ballpark.  

Phillip Roth's "DECEPTION" Proves Repeatedly His Literary Prowess

Phillip Roth (b. Amer 1933) is one of, if not the, most highly awarded living writer.  He is a consumate master of of the written word, be it fiction or nonfiction.  His writing is so deceptively clever, the barrier between fact/fiction is confusingly & cunningly fused.  Roth has received the Pulitzer Prize & mulitiple Man Booker Prizes, Nat'l Book Awards & Pen Faulkner awards & numerous multiple nominations for the echelons of the literary sphere.  DECEPTION, published in 1990, is a prime example of his genius at making art out of life by deriving out of his own life & lives of those whom he knows.  Nathan Zuckerman, Roth's doppelganger is the writer alluded to in DECEPTION as he has repeatedly alluded to in other works.  Although, perhaps never with such perplexity & guile has Roth sucessfully deluded his readers as to what is to be taken literally & what is contrived.  There are common themes in this novel which he has woven throughout many of his other books:  anti-Semitism, adultery, class barriers, cultural differences, detachment, deceit & conceit.  Roth is full of hubris for his own brilliance but he's honed his talent to write such sharp observations that his ego is earned.  DECEPTION is written in dialogue in multiple conversation formats.  A device that proves Roth's mastery of writing about the human condition.  When the unamed protagonist is pressed by one of his previous lovers regarding her  characterization in his book he responds, "What difference does that make.  I write fiction and I'm told it's autobiography, I write autobiography and I'm told it's fiction, so since I'm so dim and they're so smart, let them decide what it is or it isn't."  Touché Mr. Roth & with regards to your other point "I cannot and do not live in the world of discretion, not as a writer, anyway," I say, please keep writing away - I will read everything you write, and that includes your dirty laundry list.

J.D. Vance's Autobio HILLBILLY ELEGY is Self-Congratulatory & Lacking Resourecfullness

A lot of buzz about HILLBILLY ELEGY is due thanks to presidential candidate Trump's rousing the white lower middle-class with proferred promises of making American great, again.  Vance, a self-proclaimed Hillbilly (b. KY 1985) & raised mostly in Middeltown, OH, is a self-made success story despite the overwhelming odds thrust upon him.  Stop me if you're heard this before, he was raised by an abusive single mother (with revolving men in her life) with an alcohol & drug-addiction, prone to psychotic episodes.  Nevertheless, JD defied the odds with little social capital, no social graces and a quick fire temper, yet, still managed through OH State & Yale Law School.  Bravo, and kudos to the saving graces in his life: a steadfast older sister, steely grandparents & military training where he 1st learned self-empowerment.  Vance's stance was to enlighten us to how it feels to deeply love your family despite how deranged & destructive.  More importantly, to convey the feeling of helplessness & need to blame others for one's sad situation.  Admittedly, I was intrigued with uncovering the "Hillbilly culture" which remains socially & economically stagnant.  The disenfranchisement of the lower middle white class continues under a nebulous cloud of scrutiny & cynicism.  However, HILLBILLY ELEGY reads as grandiose self-testament to the author's own resiliency & tenacity.  I was dismayed with Vance's own life story & self-proclaimed love for those he surpassed (to his own amazement.)  I recommend instead reading the auto-bio THE OTHER WES MOORE.  Interestingly, both attribute military training as a launching pad for their future life successes.  JD doe not purport to provide answers.  I suggest mandatory military training for 2 years for all American youths (within ages 17-24)  This should prove not only beneficial for the individual, but act as a cohesive melting pot for the corrosive social divisions in our nation.

Swedish author Katrina Bivald's "The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend" I would NEVER Recommend it to be Read

Katarina Bivald is a Swiss author & book store junkie. Her novel "The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend" is meant to be a charming bibliophile's dream but it's maudlin drivel that doesn't deserve your time.  I found it annoying & so farfetched it made me retch.  Why then did I spend so much time reading this novel I deplored?  Because my bookgroup in my small town chose it.  I was determined to complete the book before I condemned it as crap at the next book meeting.  I can understood how the selection was misconstrued as being a worthy selection.  It proved worthless.   Sarah from Sweden, the heroine in the novel, travels to visit Amy, an elderly widow in a small town in IA with whom she's built  a pen pal relationship.  Meek Sarah stood her ground vs. the town's self-righteous officiando who proclaimed erotica writings as filth.  Sarah questioned how can a person judge a book without having read it.  I proclaim this book as unoriginal, poorly written & unappealing.  Sarah (Bivald's wishful avatar) had little to anchor her to her  home town in the way of friends, family ties or interests (except reading.)  The bookstore she worked in closed leaving adrift.  The invite to visit Broken Wheel seems ideal to Sarah.  This book is intended as a tribute to the transformative powers of reading and an essay extoling the virtues of community, relationships & life experiences.  Are you retching now, too?   Can't say I didn't warn you. Sarah saves the small dying town, brings out the best in everyone & finds true love.  Bivald believes her book is an amalgamation of "Bridges of Madison County," Pride & Pejudice," & "The Shipping News."  I knew this book was bunk from beginning to end.  I urge you not to waste your time reading "The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend."

Dave Eggers' Novel "Heroes of the Frontier" a Delusional Mother Caravans to Alaska with her Kids

Dave Eggers (b. Amer 1970) is a novelist, and award winning non-fiction author.  He wrote the award winning non-fiction works: "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" ('00) and "Zeiton" ('09.)  In Zeiton, Eggers covers the plights of a muslim man held prisoner in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  The book covers both the war on terror and our failure to deplore aid to victims of Katrina.   "A Heartbreaking Work… is Egger's poignant memoir of raising his kid brother after their parents died though only in his early 20's.  Eggers is a crafty writer and in "Heroes.." Josie our heroine life's is unraveling & she's having a major mid-life crisis.  Her troubled youth led to her emancipation at 17, a relationship with a feckless, spineless younger man, the father of their children Paul (8) & Ana (4) and a major drinking problem.  Compounding her self-worth & mundane life in OH as a dentist is a lawsuit v her practice & the death of a young patient she encouraged in his plans to join the military.  Perhaps, Eggers was purging his years as the put upon adult who assumed responsibility for his kid brother.  Josie's complex & self-destructive tendencies are credible and cringe worthy.  The irony here is 8 year old Paul acts as the responsible adult in this misfit family of 3.  Josie splits from ex & decides to flee OH for Alaska; the vast frontier.  Her antics are appalling, surprising & pathetic.  I was along for the journey in the broken winnebago with anticipation as to their next madcap adventure.  Eggers captures  the needy & most likely bi-polar Josie as well as the wise, kind Paul and wild child Ana.  Eggers also wrote the book "A Hologram for a King" which was adapted into a movie starring Tom Hanks ('16.)  I marvel at the broad genius of Eggers writings.  "Heroes of the Frontier" is an enjoyable read that addresses topical social issues in an earnest & exotic fashion.

S Korean Author Han Kang's THE VEGETARIAN Wins Man Booker

This year's Man Booker Prize went to Han Kang (b. S Korean 1970) for her disturbing, thought provoking novel about a young wife who suddenly refuses to stop eating meat.  This would not seem enough of a banquet from which to draw but, surprisingly, the piquant characterization and family dynamics branch out into a turbulent brew that is philosophical, pornographic and dreamlike. Yeong-hi, is the woman who refuses to eat meat after her arousing dreams of carnivore imagery.   Her life is soon to becomes a living nightmare.   Prior to Yeong-hi's vegetarian stance, her husband "…thought of her as completely unremarkable in every way."  Kang's writing may not appeal to the masses.  The plot is gnarly like massive roots & as mystifying & ephemeral as the dream you can't recall.  Dreams & their interpretations are eminent throughout this beguiling book.  Yeong-hi's unorthodox switch to vegetarianism leads to a permanent rift in her marriage to a mostly absent husband.  The extended family dynamics are peeled off revealing anger, agony, terror & abuse.  Yeong-hi's sole support comes from her older, responsible sister, In-hye.  In-hye's husband lures his sister-in-law Yeong-hi into an exploitive & lurid sexual scandal.  Nonetheless, In-hye could not abandon her sister.  In-hye's culpability gnaw at her, "Could I have prevented those unimaginable things from sinking so deep inside of Yeong-hye."  In-hye assumes full financial & emotional support for sister as her descent into insanity  escalate.  Dreams & reality are blurred in a melancholy assessment of life.  "Life was no more than a ghostly pageant of exhausted endurance."  "Life is such a strange thing, she thinks, once she has stopped laughing."  THE VEGETARIAN is a rare work of literary excellence that is an acquired taste that should be required reading.          

"Tapestry of Fortunes" by NYT Best Selling Author Elizabeth Berg is Motivational Malarky

Elizabeth Berg (b. Amer 1948) is a best selling author, whose book "Open House" ('00) was an Oprah pick catapulting sales to astronomical figures.  This is because there are so many numskulls who consider Oprah as the end all to wisdom.  Elizabeth Berg spouts Oprah's language.  This is a thinly disguised novel written more in the motivational, self-help genre.  Cecile "Cece" (see how clever) is the central character and her vocation just happens to be as a motivational speaker/writer. (She also volunteers at a hospice facility where she seems to be some kind of saint.)   Cecile's best friend Penny has just died but that doesn't interfere with the two friends communicating continuously.  Hold on - there's more in store: Cece refers to "fortune teller" paraphernalia to guide her.  Berg's veiled attempts to contemplate the road not taken hits the reader relentlessly and annoyingly, "…life is always changing, right?  And I think it's human nature to be fearful of change.  Even if the changes you dread most end up being the ones that are best.  That's what happened to me" Cece tells us.  Cece sells her home, moves into a home with 3 other women who become best fast & furious friends.  They all decide to go on a road trip with their own agendas to reconnect with past loves, lost family & start afresh.  How charming…NOT!  I found this touchy/feely book by Berg tedious & preachy.  It was one large bumper sticker of smiley faces.  Oprah would applaud Berg's ah hah moments: "Once you start making decision in which your heart, mind, and soul are congruent, you'll feel it as a kind of life, if not liftoff."  This book made me want to throw-up from saccharin, cringe worthy sayings. "Tapestry of Fortunes" fooled me to take the time to read it.  But, I will never again bother with Berg's books.